How Big Sur’s Marvin Lerche is bringing Californian cooking to the heart of Berlin

At Kreuzberg eatery Big Sur, diners can go on a journey of the U.S. through one of its best exports: food. Restaurant owner Marvin Lerche’s ongoing project “50 States, 50 Weeks, 50 Burgers,”features special dishes that pay homage to some U.S. classics but are limited in quantity: “We only serve 50 burgers, so if the 50 are gone, that’s it.”

While many of these U.S.-themed sandwiches are considered hamburgers, Lerche stresses, “we don’t want to call ourselves a burger place,” as many of the weekly specials feature dishes like Kentucky fried chicken, Philadelphia cheesesteak and more.

Despite multiple experiences stateside, Lerche has never actually been to Big Sur in California. Still, he knew the name would be right for his business. “It’s nature, it’s wild, it’s rough, it’s beautiful, it’s tasty,” says Lerche of the coastal oasis, “and that’s all the things I wanted to associate with the restaurant.”